1
as in apostasy
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2
as in desertion
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Recent Examples of defection
Republicans can now barely afford a single defection on any vote.
—
Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 19 Jan. 2026
The banking committee, of which Tillis is a member, has 13 Republicans and 11 Democrats, so even one defection sets up a stalemate.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 12 Jan. 2026
In a sporting sense, the timing of this defection was significant.
—Simon Hughes, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Barnes’ defection further thins a group of linebackers that is losing three key contributors from 2025 in Trey Moore, Liona Lefau and Anthony Hill Jr.
—David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defection
Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 19 Jan. 2026
The banking committee, of which Tillis is a member, has 13 Republicans and 11 Democrats, so even one defection sets up a stalemate.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 12 Jan. 2026
In a sporting sense, the timing of this defection was significant.
—Simon Hughes, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Barnes’ defection further thins a group of linebackers that is losing three key contributors from 2025 in Trey Moore, Liona Lefau and Anthony Hill Jr.
—David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defection
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defection
Noun
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Those who showed apostasy rarely got another assignment.—
Vince Passaro,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
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The diehard climate activists have an orthodoxy from which even the slightest deviation is apostasy.—
Robert G. Eccles,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Eddie Slovik was executed by a firing squad for desertion, the first American soldier since the Civil War to be executed in such a manner and the only soldier in World War II to receive such a punishment.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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Its defense minister last week reported some 200,000 troop desertions and draft-dodging by about 2 million Ukrainians.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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His resistance to releasing any more information caused a schism among his supporters (and contributed to the resignation of his longtime ally Marjorie Taylor Greene) and set Congress up for an easy win.—
Kaitlyn Tiffany,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2026
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The primary has made a growing schism between progressives and democratic socialists in New York City apparent.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Old wounds around rejection or abandonment may rise to the surface… not to punish you, but to be finally resolved.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
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This language can suggest frequent pivots and abandonment of projects.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The second major structural change involves one of the hallmarks of SARS-CoV-2 as compared to SARS-CoV-1: initial scission at the S1 furin cleavage site.—
William A. Haseltine,
Forbes,
6 May 2022
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Wilson cautions more work is needed to explain how exactly spin results after scission.—
Charles Q. Choi,
Scientific American,
24 Feb. 2021
Noun
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Kristy alleged infidelity as the reason for the pair’s split, per court records previously obtained by PEOPLE.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
27 Jan. 2026
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An attorney retained by Andrew’s family told ABC7 that moments before the killing, Andrew read a diary entry in which his wife described engaging in infidelity.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The stance aligns with China’s own sensitivities over sovereignty and separatism.—
Yinka Adegoke,
semafor.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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Finding common ground In the 20th century, Black and white nationalists were able to find common ground on the topic of racial separatism.—
George Michael,
The Conversation,
19 Dec. 2025
Noun
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In urging buyers and sellers to consider low-fee agents, the report exposes the misconceptions that lead consumers to accept current commission rates as reasonable and justified.—
Lew Sichelman,
Miami Herald,
30 Jan. 2026
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Despite some outsiders' ideas of the common Amish person's disposition, Bates dismisses any misconceptions about the way she was treated while living in the community.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defection.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defection. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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